Graphic Design Principles #7: Variety

Oct 1, 2014

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This is part seven of my eight-part series covering the basics of graphic design!

Variety can be defined as the quality or state of being different or diverse; the absence of uniformity, sameness, or monotony. Essentially, it’s using several different elements of design to hold the viewer’s attention and to guide the viewer’s eye around the piece.

Variety without unity (which will be covered next week) can create chaos in design; but with all things, balance is key. In design, you want to find the right balance of having the piece look unified, but with enough variety that it’s still interesting. You can create variety with different line thickness, different colors of shapes, varying color hues, and texture.

Think of it like making music – how many times does Taylor Swift repeat different lines throughout a song? You can repeat different elements throughout your design!

Here are a few designs for examples of variety!

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Your turn: Do your pieces have variety, or are they lacking some visual interest? Try varying the colors, lines and shapes in your designs. Don’t go too crazy though – balance is key! Share a link or photo below after you update your pieces!